Tissue regeneration and wound healing require interactions among distinct resident cell types, as well as inflammatory cells, platelets, and stem cells. Particularly, chronic wounds are associated with a number of deficiencies in critical wound healing processes, including growth factor signaling and neovascularization.
Regenerative medicine is a relatively new therapy that allows the body to repair, replace, restore and regenerate damaged or diseased cells, tissues and organs. Conventional regenerative therapies include cell therapy, tissue engineering, biomaterial engineering, growth factor treatment, and transplantation. Regenerative therapies are promising remedies for numerous non-cardiovascular diseases and disorders. However, the clinical potential of many of these regenerative therapies cannot be fully realized without a functioning vasculature to provide essential cells and bioactive agents, oxygen and nutrient supply, as well as to evacuate accumulating metabolic products.
To date, suitable neovascularization remains an unresolved issue hampering the progress of regenerative medicine, wound healing and treatment of other non-cardiovascular conditions. The present invention provides a novel and promising therapy to induce angiogenesis necessary for tissue regeneration, wound healing and, in particular, for treating non-cardiovascular conditions.